Chapter 36
Lin Ting's mother, Lin Qin, was placed in a top-tier hospital in Nancheng. After getting out of the taxi, she went straight to the ward. Chen Zhiyi followed closely behind. Just as they arrived at the ward door, they bumped into her uncle and aunt coming out.
"Uncle and Aunt, how is my mom?" Lin Ting was panting as she spoke, having run so fast.
Lin Li patted her back to help her catch her breath. "Don't worry, all the test results are in. It's just that there's a slight fracture in her right leg, but otherwise there's nothing wrong. We'll observe her for another half day this morning, and if everything is fine, she can be discharged this afternoon. After that, she just needs to rest."
Lin Ting's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally put at ease.
"Where is the driver who caused the accident?" Lin Ting looked around, but there was no one else besides them.
“We’ve already reported it to the police. Once your mother is feeling better, we can go to the police station to discuss compensation. The other party is fully responsible. He was driving against the flow of traffic. Fortunately, it was an intersection where neither side was going very fast, and your mother was wearing a helmet, which provided some protection. Although she fell, the consequences weren’t serious. The other party paid for all the medical expenses, so they are quite responsible,” Qin Li explained slowly.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Uncle."
"Isn't it the 3 PM train? Shouldn't it arrive by midnight? It's already 5 AM, almost dawn. Luckily, your mother doesn't have any special circumstances. If she did, who would sign the papers and take responsibility?" Zhang Linfang still didn't give Lin Ting a friendly look; the argument from their last visit home was still on her mind.
Lin Ting lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Auntie. The train encountered a problem and was stuck halfway for a long time, which caused my long delay."
“You should pay more attention to your mother. She’s usually home alone, while you’re rarely seen except during Chinese New Year. I just don’t understand, is a college student really that busy? People from other towns who work away from home usually come back to visit during holidays. Luckily, your uncle and I often help your mother out, otherwise it would be so hard for her to work alone.”
Lin Ting thought to herself, "If it weren't for the 1,000 yuan I secretly transferred every month, you wouldn't have done this." She had considered hiring a nanny to take care of her mother full-time, but her mother would definitely not agree, and she couldn't negotiate down to 1,000 yuan. The key issue was that she didn't trust her; there had been too many news reports of nannies mistreating their employers. Although Zhang Linfang wasn't good-natured, she was open-minded, and with her uncle around, she still had to maintain appearances.
So it's okay if she says a few words to me every time I go home. It won't hurt me, as long as she can take care of my mother regularly.
"Auntie, I've taken everything you said to heart. I'll come home more often from now on."
Seeing Lin Ting being so humble, Zhang Linfang didn't know what else to say.
This was the first time Chen Zhiyi had heard Lin Ting speak so humbly. Seeing her aunt's unforgiving face, he felt terrible. He suddenly realized that Lin Ting's family background was not only tragic as a single-parent family, but also as humble as someone living under someone else's roof.
She is much stronger than I imagined.
It was then that the couple noticed the tall young man standing behind Lin Ting. He was wearing a black baseball jacket and blue sneakers, both of which looked quite expensive. The most eye-catching item was the black sports watch on his left wrist, which was exquisite and imposing. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that it cost at least five figures. They never expected that there was such a wealthy person beside Lin Ting.
"Who is this?" Qin Li asked first.
Lin Ting then realized what was happening and began to introduce, "This is my tutor's student, Chen Zhiyi. The train stopped halfway through the journey, and he helped call a car and picked me up so we could come back together."
Chen Zhiyi politely said, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt!"
Unlike Qin Li, Zhang Linfang was not calm. She seemed to have discovered something amazing and even walked up to Chen Ziyu, looking him up and down before asking in a seemingly friendly manner, "Chen Ziyu? Where are you from? How old are you? What do your parents do?"
This strange, sudden burst of enthusiasm left Chen Zhiyi somewhat at a loss. He subconsciously thought, "Why should I tell you my private information?" But then he remembered that she was Lin Ting's aunt, and if he didn't reply, he would be offending her.
But Zhang Linfang's attitude towards Lin Ting just now gave Chen Zhiyi a gut feeling that she wasn't a good person. Anyone who wasn't nice to Lin Ting wasn't a good person. In his mind, Lin Ting was an excellent person—responsible, sincere, and kind. Could someone who could be so harsh on someone like that really be a good person?
He didn't know how to reply, so he could only look at Lin Ting.
Lin Ting understood the hesitation in his eyes and knew that he didn't want to answer the question.
Who would be willing to introduce themselves to a stranger right away?
Lin Ting blocked the way, gently pushing her uncle and aunt outwards with her hands on their backs, saying, "Uncle and aunt, you've worked hard. Go back and rest. Leave the rest to me."
Qin Li: "Okay, then we'll head back first. We'll come back tomorrow at noon to help your mother with her discharge."
"Thank you, Uncle."
Zhang Linfang was displeased, "I was chatting with Xiao Chen at the time."
Lin Li pulled Zhang Linfang's wrist and said, "Okay, let's go home. You've been tired all night."
Watching her uncle and aunt leave, Lin Ting entered the ward. Seeing Lin Qin's right leg in a cast, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She squatted down, grabbed her mother's hand, and her nose quickly stung with tears. She whispered, "Mom, I'm back."
Lin Qin opened her eyes, stroked her head, and comforted her: "Don't worry, Mom is fine. It's just a broken leg. She'll be fine after resting for a while."
"You scared me to death! You're my only family now, so you absolutely can't be hurt. We promised each other that we'd stay together for a very long time." The usually strong-willed Lin Ting let down her guard in front of her mother, her eyes reddening.
"Of course, I also wanted to see you get married in person and take care of your baby. This was really an accident. I will definitely be more careful in the future. Don't cry." Lin Qin gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Lin Ting's eyes.
"What are you saying? I just want to live with my mother for a long, long time. Everyone else can step aside." Lin Ting rested her head on Lin Qin's elbow and rubbed against her, like a child who couldn't grow up and was seeking his mother's love.
"good!"
Standing behind her, Chen Zhiyi stepped forward, bowed, and greeted her, "Hello, Auntie! I'm Chen Zhiyi."
Lin Ting looked up, wanting to formally introduce Chen Zhiyi, "Mom, he is..."
Lin Qin: "I heard your conversation outside just now, the student you tutor." Her gaze shifted to Chen Zhiyi, her tone as gentle as ever. "Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Chen, accompanying Lin Ting back."
"It's alright, Auntie. We're relieved to see that you're doing well."
By the light of the bedside lamp, Chen Zhiyi could see Lin Qin's face clearly. He was surprised to find that Lin Ting's features were very similar to his mother's, as if they were cut from the same mold.
The way she looked at Lin Ting was full of endless tenderness and love, which reminded him of his mother. Chen Lan's eyes were also gentle when she looked at him, but she always seemed distant and unapproachable.
But Lin Qin was different; her gentleness and kindness were ingrained in her very bones, just like the mother he imagined.
Lin Qin's gaze remained fixed on Chen Zhiyi. "Thank you, he's such a sensible and polite child." She then patted Lin Ting's hand. "Little Chen must be very tired after traveling all night. It's still early, why don't you take him to the hotel next door and get him a room to rest?"
Chen Zhiyi quickly refused, "No need, Auntie. I'll just sit in the corridor outside. I slept the whole way here and I'm not sleepy now. You should rest well." After saying that, he left the ward and sat on a chair in the corridor, not giving Lin Qin a chance to speak.
He knew that the mother and daughter hadn't seen each other for a long time and must have a lot to talk about. He felt it was inconvenient for him to stand by, so he came in just to say hello.
"Okay, Mom, you should rest now. We'll take care of ourselves." Lin Ting tucked the blanket around her mother.
Lin Qin was still worried. "Go to the nurses' station and get another blanket for Xiao Chen. It's winter now, and the corridor is cold. Don't let him catch a cold."
"Okay, don't worry!"
"And where will you sleep? There should be a bed for a caregiver at the nurses' station, go and get it."
"I'll just rest by the bed for a bit. It's too much trouble to move the bed around. We're being discharged this afternoon. You should stop talking and get some more sleep!"
Lin Qin nodded, said nothing more, and closed her eyes.
Lin Qin was staying in a triple room. The other two were elderly people nearing seventy. She hadn't heard them snoring when they were talking, but once the ward quieted down, their snoring became a constant, immersive sound, making it impossible for Lin Qin to fall asleep.
Lin Ting felt sorry for Lin Qin and suggested that she move to a better single room, but Lin Qin stopped her.
"It's alright, it'll be dawn soon. Once the two elderly people wake up, I can get some rest. Besides, we'll be discharged this afternoon. The hospital can't possibly charge you for half a day. Just hang in there and it'll pass."
"Mom, you don't need to worry about money right now. Getting your health back is the most important thing."
Lin Qin still refused repeatedly.
Chen Zhiyi could hear the noisy snoring inside from outside, as well as the conversation between the mother and daughter, so he stood up and walked towards the nurses' station.
Hello! Do you have any single rooms available?
Nurse: "Yes, but the regular single rooms are all gone. Now we only have VIP single rooms, which are more expensive, but they are more convenient for caregivers because they are family-style rooms with an extra living room and a bed."
Chen Zhiyi: "Then open this room for me and transfer patient number ** there."
Nurse: "This patient should be discharged this afternoon. There is no half-day charge for VIP single rooms; even if it's less than a full day, it's charged as a full day."
"I know, I'll pay now, please transfer the patient over quickly."
"OK."
A nurse arrived shortly after.
"Lin Qin, I'll transfer you to a VIP ward now," the nurse said.
"Didn't you say we should just tough it out? Why are we still in a VIP ward? It's such a waste of money," Lin Qin scolded Lin Ting.
Lin Ting looked puzzled: "I didn't. I've been by your side ever since I came back. How could I have found the time to upgrade the ward?"
The nurse was getting impatient: "Are you going to transfer or not? If not, go to the payment center and get a refund. This is the only VIP room left, and it's in high demand. There are so many people waiting in line."
"Forwarded." Chen Zhiyi walked into the ward and gave an affirmative reply.
Lin understood and walked up to him. "Why are you spending money again? We're not staying in the VIP room. It's almost dawn. Just bear with it. Go and get a refund."
“No refund!” Chen Zhiyi earnestly persuaded her, “First of all, Auntie is injured and has been undergoing various examinations all day, so she needs to rest well. Secondly, I also heard the coughing of the two elderly people next to us. Viral colds are common in winter, so we don’t want to get cross-infected. Also, there’s an extra bed in the VIP room, so you need to rest too. Most importantly, it’s not free; you’re paying back the debt with your work.”
Lin Ting looked troubled. The "paying off the debt with work" was just a gimmick; she didn't want to owe him too much. She always felt that he was taking advantage of her affection and making demands, but she wasn't sure if she could reciprocate what he wanted, and she was conflicted.
"You helped me so much with the art exam, and I haven't had a chance to thank you. This is a good opportunity. Also, I didn't prepare a gift for our first meeting, so this is just a small token of my appreciation."
But Lin Ting still looked troubled and hesitated.
"Really, don't feel guilty, I'm not that kind of person."
Although he didn't say it explicitly, Lin Ting knew what he meant, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
The nurse next to her grew impatient: "Are you going to transfer or not? Give me a straight answer."
Lin Ting turned to look at her. "Let's go." Then she bent down and said to Lin Qin, "Mom, we must go. You need to get a good night's sleep. Nothing is more important than your health right now. Don't worry about the room fee. Chen Zhiyi said I'll spend more time tutoring him. He'll study more, and we'll pay back the money. It's a win-win situation."
Chen Zhiyi said in a relaxed tone, "Yes, Auntie, Teacher Lin is a great teacher. I learned a lot from her, so I really benefited."
"Thank you, Xiao Chen." After the two men persuaded her, Lin Qin could only agree.
After moving to the VIP room, Lin Ting finished packing her things and Lin Qin fell asleep. When she wanted Chen Zhiyi to sleep on another bed, she found him lying on the sofa in the living room.
She took a blanket from the closet, gently covered him with it, and squatted down beside him, quietly watching him.
Having spent more than half a year with this person, I'm quite familiar with their face, but this is the first time I've had the opportunity to appreciate it up close and in a static setting.
His eyes were tightly closed, like a deep lake, concealing endless secrets and dreams. Long eyelashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks, adding to his mystique. His nose was straight and strong, like a mountain, standing firm in the quiet night.
A vibrant and energetic teenager is like a beautiful painting, with every detail full of vitality and beauty.
Who wouldn't be moved if they met a young man who only had eyes for them and was always there for them?
The door to her heart opened, and he came in, but there was still a vast chasm between them.
Lin Ting's fingers traced his eyebrows and eyes, sliding down to the beauty mark under his eye. She withdrew her hand after a moment, staring at Chen Zhiyi's face, and murmured, "You will meet someone better."
Better people are those who are his age, those who are his equals in social standing, those who have happy families and carefree lives like him, and those who have bright futures and promising prospects like him.
He was a chosen one, shining brightly, while she was a commoner, her feet covered in mud.
He was a prince in a fairy tale, but she didn't have Cinderella's magic touch, so she didn't want to become a golden phoenix soaring to the top in the eyes of the world, an appendage under someone else's name.
She is who she is, and she will always live for herself.
Lin Ting tucked the blanket around him and got up to go into the ward.
Chen Zhiyi opened his eyes, touching the spot where Lin Ting had just touched him, seemingly still able to feel the lingering gentleness of her fingertips. His voice was so soft that only he could hear it, "I've already met the best, how could I possibly meet someone better?"
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